About Us

Catholics for Choice (CFC) was founded in 1973 to serve as a voice for Catholics who believe that the Catholic tradition supports a woman’s moral and legal right to follow her conscience in matters of sexuality and reproductive health.

CFC has its headquarters in Washington, DC. We work with sister organizations throughout Latin America, and we maintain a presence in the European parliament and throughout Europe, working closely with Catholic and reproductive health colleagues there. CFC is an ECOSOC-accredited NGO in the UN system and has participated in many UN conferences and forums.

With an annual budget of $3,000,000, CFC and our partners are active in support of social justice and human rights in both church and society.

Where abortion is safe, legal and truly accessible, and both contraception and child care are available and affordable.

We Live In a World:

Where abortion remains illegal or unavailable for millions of women around the world, even when it could save their lives.

Where a woman who needs emergency contraception at a hospital or pharmacy is denied because of the religious beliefs of the pharmacist behind the counter, or the nurse in the emergency room.

Where policy makers are ostracized in their churches and harassed by their clergy because of their support for sex education or reproductive healthcare for poor women.

Where a rape survivor in a war torn country can be told by the Vatican that she must continue the pregnancy that resulted from her attack.

Where more than 40 million people live with HIV and AIDS while the Vatican lobbies against the use of condoms.

In all parts of the world, women, men and their families suffer because they lack the resources to plan their families, and the comprehensive information and education to keep themselves safe and healthy.

The Catholic hierarchy's powerful lobby plays a huge role in influencing public policy and affects everyone
― Catholic or not
― by limiting the availability of reproductive healthcare services worldwide.

The Catholic hierarchy's ban on contraception and abortion has a disastrous impact on women's lives, especially the lives of poor women who may rely soley on government-run programs for access to reproductive healthcare services. It is women and their families who pay the price every time theocracy trumps democracy in the debate over women's healthcare.